The premise is simple: with five common spices and a few basic ingredients, home cooks can create fifty mouthwatering Indian dishes, as diverse as they are delicious. Cooking teacher Ruta Kahate has chosen easy-to-find spicescoriander, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper, and turmericto create authentic, accessible Indian dishes everyone will love. Roasted Lamb with Burnt Onions uses just two spices and three steps resulting in a meltingly tender roast. Steamed Cauliflower with a Spicy TomatoSauce and Curried Mushrooms and Peas share the same three spices, but each tastes completely different. Suggested menus offer inspiration for entire Indian dinners. For quick and easy Indian meals, keep it simple with "5 Spices, 50 Dishes."

From the Publisher:An introduction to the cuisine of India explains how to combine a few simple ingredients with five common spices--coriander, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper, and turmeric--to create authentic, easy-to-prepare Indian dishes, including Roasted Lamb with Burnt Onions, Steamed Cauliflower with a Spicy Tomato Sauce, Curried Mushrooms and Peas, and others. Original.

Annotation:With just cayenne, coriander, cumin, mustard, and turmeric, author Ruta Kahate shows novices that despite intense and complex flavors, Indian cookery need not be intimidating. Home cooks can make a wide range of delicious recipes, including Eggplant Stuffed with a Sesame-Peanut Masala, Shredded Carrot Raita with Raisins and Walnuts, Creamy Pumpkin Kheer with Cashew Nuts, and Black-Eyed Peas in a Spicy Goan Curry. With sharp, full-color photos.